Hello subROVvers! 😄 Jose speaking in the first devlog I publish through the news system.
First things first:
THIS PROJECT IS ALIVE AND ACTIVELY DEVELOPED
So far I've used this board only to announce game updates or important news. For work in progress or quick dev logs, I've used the Discussion Forum's update thread, Discord, and/or socials, and recently I've added a brief dev update header to the game's Steam front page -I thought I had all the bases covered.
I don't post every day, but I've never let things stay quiet for too long, so imagine my surprise when several people got in touch recently to ask if the project was dead. None of my updates had reached them at all!
From this I've come to the conclusion that most people only sees posts from this board, so they've been getting the impression that nothing has happened since last August.
Needless to say I'm quite bummed, but at least it's something I can fix. From now on I will give priority to communication through this board, and I will post short devlogs here every once in a while. I still haven't decided if they're going to be "quick updates" (one-liner+picture), or recaps (several smaller updates in one); let me know what you'd prefer to see.
With this out of the way, here's what's taking me so long:
THE TITANIC
I've been working on the Titanic model since the game's last update. I already owned a model that I had commissioned earlier, and I had decided to work 3-4 months on a number of "hero assets" where I would go the extra mile with detail, and release it with a new dive. Then Magellan released their game out of the blue, featuring a model created with photogrammetry, and raised the bar for the wreck's representation significantly.
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I've been working since then to revise my model, both looking at magellan's and at every bit of reference I find (I'm becoming a bit of an expert😅). My goal is to produce a model that is generally correct and easy to read (e.g. you can follow the sections of rope); a "study model" that has something for both newcomers and experts alike.
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About the current state of the model: I've been revising it from the forecastle back, and today I have just finished the well deck.
Once I get to the bridge, I will release the wreck up to that section in beta, and I'll unveil the rest in sections as I complete them. I want to believe I've already done the hardest parts of the model, but there's still plenty to do, and I would very much like to know what you think about the work so far.
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And here's why it's taking me so long:
ONGOING ISSUES
Not exactly an issue, but, well, it's the Titanic we're talking about! it's the highest-profile wreck, everybody knows it, and yet reference is not nearly as abundant as I had thought. Of course magellan's scan helps, but it's "blurry" in places, with chunks missing or parts where it's not easy to say what's what (this is not a criticism: it's spectacular!). On top of that, as a 3D model, the wreck is half organic, half hard-surface, and it's full of elements that qualify as full projects in their own right (e.g. the telemotor).
That said, the last year-and-a-half or so has been really difficult for me personally. I'm still dealing with the aftermath of a very serious family issue that I believe I've managed to course-correct but still takes, on a good week, half of my time. On top of that, my studio flooded several times and is partially in tatters, and my health is not great either. I could go on and on 😅
Unfortunately I can't pause the world a few hours every day to compensate for these issues, but I've never stopped working on the game. The Titanic is creating a particular bottleneck, but I think it is worth it and all this work will soon start paying off.
WORK AHEAD: NSF AND VR
After the summer I will be working again with scientists in the context of an NSF grant. We're still deciding on what to do exactly, whether something specific for a dive, or a feature that expands the game as a whole. I find this kind of work particularly rewarding and I'm very much looking forward to it.
Also, last spring I was awarded a grant to develop a prototype for a VR control room, which I will try to integrate with the game starting Q1 2026. To me this is a treat, because I've always wanted to simulate the ROV's control room fully; furthermore, the fact that it is a prototype gives me peace of mind in case it ends up being too complex or difficult to fully develop it.
Aside from this, there are a couple more things that might crystallize into some exciting news for the game, but I don't want to jinx them so I won't say anything for now 😁
IN CONCLUSION
Now you're up to date! I hope this post will dispel the notion that the game is dead. I wish I could work faster, but I'm working as much as I can on it, and I'm doing my best to bring you something memorable.
GET IN TOUCH
From the game - press the Feedback button in the main or pause menus
Through the forum right here on Steam
Through our Discord Server,
Through Bluesky,
Through Twitter,
Through mastodon,
By email (info 'at' sqr3lab.com)
SUPPORT SUBROV
If you enjoy subROV, please leave a review. It helps a lot!
Thank you for support - Happy subROVing! ⚓😄
Jose